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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that features upcoming books that we're looking forward to!

Calling Anna and
Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995
Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of
them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though
they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together,
against all odds.

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with
Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping
out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They
each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until
Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and
certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that
point on cement a future he doesn't want?

Told from Bennett’s
point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh,
exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager
to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those
discovering their story for the first time.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that features upcoming books that we're looking forward to!

On Internment, the
floating island in the clouds where 15-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives,
getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's
older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him.
She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and
if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes
solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a
murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers
swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from
investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being
blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is
convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but
nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will
lose.

Perfect Ruin will be released October 1 by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

I've been following Jess's blog for quite a while, so it's really cool that she's going to be featured this week! Here's a little intro from Jess:

Jess is a grad student who lives and breathes books.She is the blogging face behind Such A Novel Idea and lives in Texas.

1. Hardcover or paperback?
Paperback all the way. I love how a good paperback feels, especially
when they put that coat on the cover. I go out of my way to wait until
the pb comes out if I can. And there's nothing I hate more than a
series that is a mixture of hb/pb. HAHA!

2. Book or e-copy?
I like reading an e-book, because A) It's easier to hold B) I can have
so many books at my fingertips at any given moment, and C) it comes with
its own built in light. But, if I like a book, I always end up buying
it in print. And if it has a gorgeous cover, I buy it in print. When
the paperback version comes out, of course. :)

3. Library or bookstore?
Both. I love OWNING books. I hate giving them back. But I also like
free, so I'm torn. I think libraries are an invaluable resource and
love that it is something we have at our disposal!

4. New books or used books?
New. I am a weird bibliophile who hates the way old books smell.

5. If you were in a book, what kind of character would you be?

Well, I think we'd all hope to be the hero, of course. However,
I'm pragmatic enough to know I probably am more sidekick material. But
like Hermione sidekick material, where I was invaluable to the whole
operation and they would have never succeeded without me.

6. Would you want the book you were featured in to be turned into a movie? Who would play you?
I used to LOVE when my favorite books (Harry Potter, hello) were turned
into movies. But now, Hollywood is going kind of overboard. And a bad
movie ruins the book's reputation. SO, I'd be hesitant. And I think
someone like Zooey Deschanel or Sara Rue would play me. Quirky, funny,
and smart.

7. If you could live in any possible genre, which would you choose and why?
Fantasy, because everyone knows I'd live at Hogwarts if I could. Sans
Voldermort and Death Eaters, of course. And every time I say accio cup,
or try to unfog my glasses like Hermione did for Harry, I get really
sad that magic doesn't exist.

8. If you could meet any one author, who would you meet and why?

100% John Green. He just seems like such a fun person and he is an amazing author.

9. If there was a book about your life, what would it be called?
Hmm, that's a good one... How about "It All Works Out In The End"...
Because, I'd probably want that to happen. Or "Quirky Girl", because
that's a pretty accurate description of me.

10. Which character in a book you've read most resembles you and why?
Well, one character that pops into mind is Kate from Die For Me by Amy
Plum. Kate is quiet, prefers reading, and is a strong, smart
individual. She also believes in people and has a fierce protectiveness
for the ones she loves. So, yeah, I'd most humbly say I'm a lot like
Kate.

11. How many times have you read your favorite book and will you read it again?
You can't ask a bibliophile to pick one favorite book. But, I've read
the Harry Potter series so many times I've lost count. Back when there
were only 3 and 4 books, I'd read them more than once a year. If I was
to estimate, I'd say over the years, I've probably read (at least the
first three, which I got in 1999/2000) them 15-20 times easily.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Title: CountdownAuthor: Michelle RowenPublisher: Harlequin TeenRelease Date: September 24, 2013Source: Publisher for Review (Netgalley)Edition: eArc (304 pages)Genre: Science FictionCover Review: I personally like this cover a lot. It's really cool and I love the yellow.Tagline: What would you do to escape the game?Series: N/AMain Character: Kira Jordan

3 seconds left to live.Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.Kira
Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated
city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She
figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room,
chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis.1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it.Their
every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive
audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets
prove ever more deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk
trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running
head-on into the one trap she can't escape.GAME 0VER

*Thank you to Harlequin Teen for the review copy in exchange for an honest review!*

Kira wakes up chained near a guy, not remembering anything that had happened to her. Within a few minutes, she finds that not only is she near a murderer, Rogan Ellis, she also must try to survive by beating the Countdown.

The Countdown is a show that some people can see if they pay to have implants in their head. They can then watch it without everyone knowing that they're watching. Countdown is a game with six levels that takes place right under everybody's nose. Each level has a certain task and it must be completed in a certain amount of time. Basically, you must beat the countdown if you want to survive. If you don't beat the countdown, you're killed on the spot. Usually, contestants are males that are coming for prison. To be on Countdown would be an opportunity for escape if you were a prisoner, because death is pretty much already hanging over your head.

Countdown was truly a fascinating book because I've never read anything like it. The whole idea of a game that had to be completed in real life in a certain amount of time really piqued my interest. The characters in Countdown were utterly awesome. Kira, the main character, is the first female contestant on Countdown. She is an orphan, since her family was murdered one night while she was in her house. The only reason why Kira survived was because the murderer fled the scene after hearing the sirens and the police coming. Since she's an orphan, Kira survives by thievery. She doesn't have any other way to live. Kira is really strong and witty. She definitely made a very unique heroine.

Rogan, Kira's teammate in the Countdown, is a murderer. In the past, he murdered many girls and ended up going to juvie for it. Rogan made the choice of coming on the show because he practically already had a death sentence over his head. Therefore he chose to go on the show while Kira didn't, which is one of the few differences between them. Rogan was a very mysterious character in the beginning, which of course I fell in love with. I just wanted to know everything about him, especially his story. Kira and Rogan worked really well together; I was quite surprised by how they clicked.

Countdown was a really fast-paced novel. You're literally thrown directly into the story on the first page. There's no dilly-dallying around in this story, which I adored. I'm not one for a slow story, trust me. I was never bored in this novel because I always wanted to know what the next level entailed. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire ride. I just found this novel in general so fascinating.

I've never read anything by Michelle Rowen before, though after reading this novel, I'm definitely going to have to check out her other works. Michelle Rowen is such a marvelous writer. Though I read this as an e-copy, I may have to buy this as a physical copy because it's definitely worth many rereads, as it's currently one of my favorites of this year.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that features upcoming books that we're looking forward to!

3 seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.

Kira
Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated
city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She
figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room,
chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis.

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it.

Their
every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive
audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets
prove evermore deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk
trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running
head-on into the one trap she can't escape.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

So a few weeks ago I came across this awesome blog called Hopeless Romantics. The first thing I loved was the design. I mean, it's AWESOME. I then continued searching around and I found that not only are the bloggers sisters, they're funny sisters. So of course, I had to follow. Interview time!

Stephanie: We’re
sisters and just started our book blog in early July. We both love to read all
the time (the pile of books we bring home from the library could probably crush
small animals).

Jessica: Not that
we’ve tested that.

Stephanie: Right…
Anyways, we both love using Goodreads and often read the reviews posted for the
books we read. We mostly just talk about books together, but being interested
in web design, I really wanted to create a design for my own blog.

Jessica: Saved me
the trouble =)

Stephanie: You
could try and say something beneficial to this interview rather than your
random comments ya know.

Jessica: Cool, my
turn. Well, she changed the design of our blog A LOT. She was like a
perfectionist. Not that I’m complaining, I like the design. At first we didn’t
really know what we were doing with this blog. We just kept posting reviews
that almost no one saw. Turns out there are bloggers out there that will return
the favor if you comment on their blog (be warned, we have your blogs
bookmarked).

Stephanie: We are
still very new at this and are continually learning to become better at
blogging and reviewing. You should have seen us when we got our first follower.
I danced around the house like a crazy person.

Jessica: She did.

Stephanie:
Natalie@Natflixandbooksis awesome!

Jessica: So far
we have loved blogging and reviewing books. We hope to continue doing it far
into the future!

1. Hardcover or paperback?

Jessica: Without
a doubt hardcover. I hate when books have those creases that show with
paperbacks. It’s easier to take care of a hardcover book and keep it new.

Stephanie:
Whichever is cheaper. I usually only get the hardcover book if a paperback
isn’t available to purchase. I’m a college kid and half Dutch = me cheap.
Although if I’m at a library book sale, I’ll usually go for the hardcovers
because they’re only $0.50 more.

2. Book or e-copy?

Jessica: Always a
book for me because I don’t own an ereader and haven’t downloaded adobe digital
editions to read library ebooks.

Stephanie: I
prefer a book because it’s easier for me to flip to different parts of the book
that I want to reread. I never seem to remember the length percentage when
reading on my kindle. I usually only buy ebooks if the book is not available at
my library and when I’m not sure if I’ll completely love it.

3. Library or bookstore?

Stephanie:
Library. Did I mention I prefer not to spend money? I actually love to hang out
in a book store to browse their many books and then create a list of books to
check out from the library. I’ll just take pictures of the books to save for
later.

Jessica: I also
primarily receive books from the library. It’s just easier and closer than the
book store. I’ll only buy new books that I can’t wait for the library to order
or my favorites.

4. New books or used books?

Stephanie: I love
new books. Just the feel and look of a new book is great. I’ll take used book
anytime though too. Usually when I’m at a library book sale, I’ll avoid the
books that look really damaged.

Jessica: Same here, I’ll take either. Nothing beats a
brand new book though =)5. If you were in a book, what kind of character would you be?

Jessica: The hero
of course. I’d have cool powers or wield a sword. I would also never die and
have a hot guy sidekick. Maybe I’d fly on a dragon too. For that matter, it
would be cool to be a dragon myself.

Stephanie: The love
interest because, of course, I would star in a romance! I love reading about
characters that are just falling in love. Plus, If I’m in the book and creating
the story, I’d totally have a smokin hot guy be my love interest lol =D

6. Would you want the book you were featured in to be turned into a movie? Who would play you?

Jessica: I would
play the part! No one could mimic my character’s wit and
humor but me. If I--

Stephanie: Yes,
cause you are just soooo funny Jess. I laugh at, I mean with you all the time…

Jessica: Thank
you, you peasant. Your sarcasm has been ignored. DO NOT INTERUPT ME AGAIN! Now,
as I was saying…If I were to be a dragon the computer would have to create me,
but I would be the voice for the dragon.

Stephanie: I
don’t know if I would want a romance book I’m starring in to be turned into a
movie. I’d be kinda weird for me. It would be like, oh hey, there’s me kissing
that super-hot actor guy and everyone’s watching. Who would play me? Not Miley
Cyrus lol. I actually love animated movies, so I guess I’d prefer to just be an
animated character who can sing (cause animated musicals are awesome *cough*
Beauty and the Beast *cough*).

7. If you could live in any possible genre, which would you choose and why?

Stephanie: A time
traveling romance. I love reading books were the main character goes from the
present into the past and falls in love. I’d love to visit the past and visit
castles and old Victorian homes.

Jessica: Fantasy.
So I could be a dragon or have powers. :)

8. If you could meet any one author, who would you meet and why?

Stephanie: Janette
Rallison. I always laugh when I read her books. I would want to meet to tell
her to write the third book in the My Fairy Godmother series quicker because I
love that series!

Jessica: Rick
Riordan. So I could pester him to release the Army of Hades book faster.

9. If there was a book about your life, what would it be called?

Jessica: The
All-star, Amazing, Fantabulous, American Teenager.

Stephanie: You
forgot humble.

Jessica: QUIET
PEASANT!

Stephanie: If I
was coming up with the name, it would probably be something like “Book Title”
or “Book about My Life” by Stephanie. I’m very unoriginal when it comes to
creating titles and I often struggle with this. They’re just too short.

10. Which character in a book you've read most resembles you and why?

Stephanie: That’s
a hard question. Maybe Lindy from Beastly. She’s smart and has a loves to read
books.

Jessica: No one
can match this awesomeness. So none.

Stephanie: Wow…
just wow. Maybe she was adopted…

Jessica: You only
wish you were related to this.

11. How many times have you read your favorite book and will you read it again?

Stephanie: My
favorite book is My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison. I don’t even know how
many times I’ve read it. The scenes from that book still make me laugh.

Jessica: My
favorite book is probably the Crimson Crown. I’ve only read the whole thing
once. I like to reread my favorite parts a lot though.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that features upcoming books that we're looking forward to!

From the author the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But
for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She
and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series
when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother
leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums,
writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for
every movie premiere.

Now
that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to
be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort
zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around
boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end
of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk
about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s
loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

After the Contamination
- an epidemic caused by the super-trendy diet drink ThinPro that turned
ordinary citizens into shambling creatures unable to control their
violent impulses - the government rounded up the "Connies" to protect
the remaining population. But now, two years later, the government's
started sending the rehabilitated back home, complete with shock collars
that will either stop the Connies from committing violent acts or kill
them before they do any further harm.

Since her parents were
taken in the roundup, Velvet Ellis has struggled to care for her
ten-year-old sister and maintain a sense of normalcy, despite brutal
government rations and curfews. She goes to the "Kennels" every day
searching for her parents, and when she finds her mother, she's eager to
bring her home. Maybe, eventually, they'll be able to get back to the
way things were before. But even though it seems that her mother is
getting better (something that the government says is impossible), there
will be no happy transition. Anti-Connie sentiment is high, and rumor
has it that an even worse wave of the Contamination is imminent. And
then the government declares that the Connies will be rounded up and
neutralized, once and for all.

Sacrificing everything - her
boyfriend, her home, and her job - Velvet will do anything to protect
her mother. Velvet has to get the collar off her mother before the
military comes to take her away. Even if it means risking all of their
lives.

Gritty and grabbing, Contaminated is a harrowing,
emotionally charged dystopic venture into YA from a well-known and
respected writer of women's fiction.

*Thank you to EgmontUSA for the e-copy in exchange for an honest review!*

Em lives in a world where ThinPro had once taken over the world. Everyone was drinking it even though it was pretty much only water with protein. It was mostly for those who wanted to lose weight, though more than people who wanted to lose weight actually drank the water. The thing is, the demand for ThinPro got so high that they started getting protein from animals so the water wasn't even vegetarian. People started going crazy as they began to lose their minds. They drank the contaminated water so they became Connies, which are people that can't control themselves anymore. They could attack you or kill you for whatever reason.

The government has tried different forms of solving this problem, such as picking your eye or using shock collars. They even began taking in all of the Connies to try to contain them. If you've lost a parent and one of your parents are taken in as a Connie, you are allowed to go and take them back. This is exactly what Velvet does because she lives at home alone with her sister, Opal. Opal is ten years old and Velvet is 17, so Velvet is in charge because of the new laws passed. In order to stay in charge of her sister, Velvet must continue sending Opal to school why she only goes to school in the morning and works in the afternoon.

It's been said that once you're contaminated, there's no going back. You'll never be the same again, The thing is, it seems as if Velvet's mom isn't following this general statement. Can Connies get better? Will Velvet and Ellis be able to continue surviving in this world where the rules are constantly changing?

Contaminated is such a unique book. I haven't read many zombie books, so I always get excited when I get the chance to read one. I instantly fell in love with the world and the idea of a diet drink gone wrong. I just thought it was such an interesting way to cause zombies. I also really liked how parts of the past were woven in throughout the story. You didn't get told straight off what had caused everything. You had to slowly place the pieces together as they were given to you.

I really loved the characters in this story as well. Velvet was so loving and protective of her sister. Living in the world that she lives in, Velvet has to be strong, and I'd say that she was even stronger than strong. No matter what happened to her, she always tried to think positive. I also really appreciated how she was in control of her sister and Opal didn't give her much trouble, besides when it was about school. Opal was such a nice little sister. I couldn't imagine being that young and living in a world that she lives in. It's gotta be so tough on her, especially since she didn't even get a lot of time in the normal world. The new world is practically all that she knows.

I really liked how there was an option for people to take back the Connies if they were related. I'm very glad that there were people like Jean that watched the Connies as well and took care of them, especially if she didn't really have to. I also loved Dylan. I won't get too much into that, because I could go on for paragraphs, and I don't want to make you bored. In short: Dylan is just so caring and understanding. He's just so lovable.

I definitely loved how this book was written and I may have to buy my own copy because of how awesome this book was. This is the first book in a while that I can honestly say I couldn't believe when it was over. Since I read an e-copy, I literally kept swiping the page trying to see if there was more, but sadly there wasn't. I really loved this book and I can't wait to read more by Em Garner in the future, especially because she comes up with such compelling novel ideas such as this one.